Candy Corn and Moon Kingdoms
by pandorabox82
Summary: When Dave and Erin's daughter gets back from trick or treating, she asks for a story about when he first knew he loved Erin. Will the story reveal more than either of them had bargained for?


"Someone didn't want to say that they were exhausted," Erin said as she carried their daughter into the living room. "There was too much candy out there to claim as hers."

Dave smiled up at her, holding up his arms. Erin transferred their angel over to him before sinking down onto the couch herself, cuddling up close to him. "And how are Momma's feet?"

"Aching. Next year, we're just going to take her to Disney for Halloween. At least there, we can ride rides and take breaks, and still get her all the candy her little heart desires." Clarissa stirred in her father's arms, and Erin sighed gently, feeling love radiate off her.

"More candy," their daughter lisped out.

"No, sweetheart, you have about ten pounds here as it is. And it's almost your bedtime."

Clarissa pouted the moment she heard the word bed, looking up into her father's eyes. "Will you tell me a story, Papa?"

As Erin watched, her husband's face melted in pleasure and he nodded. "Of course I will, Princess. What do you want to hear?"

"I want to know about when you fell in love with Momma." David's eyes met hers, and the most mischievous grin spread across his lips. Erin wondered what was going through his head at that moment and he shrugged a little at their child. "No, you can't brush me off. I want to hear that story."

"Yes, David, do tell us the story of when you fell in love with me."

A bright blush spread across his face, and she suddenly realized that he was hesitant about revealing that to them. "All right, I suppose I will tell you that story. As long as I have no interruptions, from either of my sweet ladies."

"Fine, Papa." They both laughed at the tone their daughter used, and he bent and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

"So, your momma and I didn't always get along. We butted heads a lot the first time I was with the FBI. She was always good at her job, and I was always teasing her, prodding her, testing her. I suppose I wanted to see exactly what she was made of, and she proved herself capable of any of the bulls-crap I put her through.

"So, after I had come back to the BAU, we were still not the best of friends."

"I seem to remember it a little differently, David. You were insubordinate."

"I said, no interruptions, bella. And I was trying to see if you still had claws."

"Momma has claws?" Clarissa asked, picking up Erin's hand and looking at it closely. "I don't see them."

"Papa is being facetious, precious. He just means that I could cut him with my words. Now, let's let him finish his story, before he tickles us into silence." She caressed her daughter's face before looking up into David's face. "And we all know how I hate being tickled."

Dave nodded and then reached out his hand, caressing her hair. "As I was saying, when I started at the BAU once more, I was bowled over by the human tornado that is Penelope Garcia." Clarissa went to say something and Erin shook her head, smiling gently. "And she decided that the best way to get me in with everyone else was to get everyone tickets to a charity Halloween party."

Erin felt herself choke up as she put two and two together. "That long?"

"You were still with Alan. Now hush, and let me tell the story…"

_Dave sighed as he looked at _the envelope Garcia handed him. "What's this?"

"This is your ticket to the Halloween Ball. We're all going, even Jack, though Hotch will obviously have to leave early to get him in bed. It was the only way that Haley would agree to letting him come at all."

"He is two, Garcia."

"And Hotch doesn't see him nearly enough. Now, everyone else has agreed to come, so you have to, as well."

He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I suppose that I have to dress up for this little shindig?"

"Well, that is the point of Halloween. You could go as a mobster." He gave her a sharp look and she held up her hands. "I'm just saying, you remind me of Bugsy Siegel. So, I'll see you Saturday evening!"

She turned and bounced from the room, and he shook his head even more, wondering for the first time if it had been such a great idea to return to the BAU. There was something to her mobster suggestion, though, and he could pull it off. He had a fedora and everything.

Reclining in his chair, he wondered what costumes the others would wear. Turning his head, he looked out into the bullpen and saw the blonde head of the woman who was currently making his life a living nightmare. Erin Strauss was riding him harder than any other agent under her command, and he knew that she still held a grudge from the way he had treated her previously.

She must have felt his eyes boring into her, as she turned her head and frowned at him. He smirked at her and she shook her head before stalking off. Laughing a little, he sat up and then gathered his things together before heading out for the night, a slight spring in his step.

By the time Saturday evening rolled around, he was regretting being so happy about going to this shindig. Garcia had called at least twelve times, reminding him of the event, and he was getting a little irritated with her. But he didn't want to miss seeing Jack, so he squared his shoulders, stuck his fedora on his head, and stepped into the ball room.

There were numerous people dancing to the live band, while the kids were all running around collecting candy from different stations. He felt a little overwhelmed by all the noise but tried to take it in stride, searching the room for a familiar face. Finally, he caught sight of Garcia and Morgan, and he quickly crossed the room, coming up to their sides. "You came!" Garcia squealed happily, giving him a quick, tight, hug.

"I did. So, where are the others?" he asked, taking a good long look at them. Morgan was dressed up like Dracula, which suited him in a way, while Garcia was dressed up like Supergirl. Again, the costume fit her personality, and he grinned, starting to feel relaxed.

"Hotch is taking Jack around to all the candy stations, so that he can bring all the sugary goodness home to Haley. I really love how that man's mind works at time! And JJ and Emily are over dancing with two guys from counterterrorism. I think Reid found someone to talk to about the origins of Halloween, see that brunette over there?"

She pointed over to where Reid was standing, a glass of punch in his hand, talking animatedly to one Alex Blake. It didn't surprise him that the young genius had sought out his former mentor, and he nodded to the pair before wandering over to the punch bowl himself. As he grabbed a cup, he heard a loud commotion come from the front of the room, and he turned his head to look.

The image that he saw took his breath away. A woman was leading three children in, two girls and a boy. The girls were dressed like the woman, while the boy was in a lavender tuxedo. And then, the woman looked up and met his eye, and he gasped in recognition. Though she was wearing a silver wig with ridiculous buns, she looked absolutely gorgeous. "Erin," he murmured, looking her up and down. The pure white dress clung to her curves, even as it flowed to the floor. Her shoulders were bare, and the large bow that was on her chest only served to emphasize her breasts.

She began to blush at his scrutiny and shuffled her kids over to the their section. The length of the gown made her take small steps, and he was able to watch her move, her hips swaying seductively. Everything about her oozed grace and poise, and he couldn't tear his eyes away. Setting the cup aside, he sidled over to her position, watching her smile from the corner of his eye. "So, what brings you here this evening?"

"The same thing as you, supporting a good cause while having a little fun." She was so stiff, so wary, and he wondered what he had done to create such a rift between them. "My children will want to know why I'm talking to a strange man."

"So, introduce me. And tell me a little more about your costumes." She blushed at the mention of her outfit, and he smiled tenderly.

"Fine." She extended her elbow, and he took the hint, slipping his arm through hers and letting her lead him over to her three children. "Karen, Bruce, Tabby, I want you to meet a colleague of mine, David Rossi."

"Pleasure to meet you," the eldest, Karen, said as she extended her hand. He smiled kindly at her, taking in the similar, yet different, dress and identical hairdo in blonde. "What do you do with the FBI?"

"I work with Agent Hotchner, tracking down the people who decide to hurt others."

"And do you like our mother? Because Agent Hotchner does not." Tabby stared at him, her eyes narrowing the longer she looked.

"Tabitha!"

"Well, I know things, Momma. I overheard you and Daddy talking about his insubordinate behavior, and how he made you cry."

Dave felt like he had had the breath sucked from his body as a new facet of Erin had been revealed to him. Glancing over at her, he saw that her head was bowed, her chin tucked into her chest as she fought to make herself unnoticeable, and he felt his heart lurch. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and splayed his hand against her back, letting his thumb rub the bare skin it encountered. "David, I, I need to get out of here."

There was true panic in her voice, and he nodded, taking a step away and watching her move off to the refreshment table. "Mom doesn't like it when we talk about things that hurt her. She likes to pretend she's invincible." Karen's voice sounded sad, and he looked at her, nodding slowly. "She thinks she has to be strong for us."

"I see." He filed that piece of information away in his brain before shaking his head a little. "So, tell me about your costumes. It sort of looks like you're dressed like a family."

"We are!" Tabitha grinned up at him, reaching out to take his hand. "I'm Small Lady Serenity. She's a character in our favorite anime, Sailor Moon. Karen and I decided that we wanted to dress up like them in some way, and when Momma said that we could, we decided to go as the family. Momma is Queen Serenity, while Karen is Neo-Queen Serenity. We even twisted Bruce's arm so that he would dress up as King Endymion. Doesn't Momma look so beautiful?"

Tabby pointed to Erin and Dave looked over at her, sipping a glass of wine, a soft smile on her face, and he couldn't help but nod. "She is lovely."

Turning his gaze back to the Strauss children, he saw that his remark had not gone unnoticed by Karen. "You had better not hurt her, Agent Rossi. She's had enough hurt in her life. And she is quite happy with Daddy." The subtle warning tumbling from the mouth of a fourteen year old startled him, and it was then that he realized Karen had inherited her mother's stunning capability to cut to the heart of the matter.

"I understand that, Karen. And I would never deliberately hurt her. Antagonize her, yes, since she's a good sparring partner, but I would never hurt someone as lovely as her." An impatient sigh broke from Karen's lips and in that moment, he knew that she would grow up to be beautiful like her mother. Not pretty, not gorgeous, but achingly beautiful, like a goddess who had deigned to step down to earth. "Believe me, I understand and respect vows."

Karen dipped her head slightly before leading Bruce away. "I like you, Agent Rossi. I hope Momma brings you over for supper some night," Tabitha sweetly said as she grinned up into his face. "She needs more friends." Letting go of his hand, she skipped over to her siblings, and he smiled wryly as he shook his head.

"That could have been yours, Rossi, if you hadn't let Carolyn slip away," he murmured to himself, feeling his heart ache strangely. Smelling a familiar perfume, he turned his head and looked into Erin's luminous eyes. "You are a lucky woman, Erin Strauss. You have a family that adores you."

"And I adore them. I hope that Alan…" He wondered what she had been about to say, but knew her enough not to push. "Anyway, I suppose I should go keep an eye out on my kids. I hope you have a nice time."

She glided off, and Rossi felt his heart leave with her. He hadn't felt like this since he had fallen in love with Carolyn. Shaking his head, he tried to get the absurd idea that he was falling in love with Erin Strauss out of his head.

_"…and that was the first time_ that I knew that I loved her. Some small part of my heart responded to the sheer beauty that she is."

Erin blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to stem the flow of her tears. "That long?" she whispered, finally giving in to her tears.

"Momma, why are you crying?" Clarissa asked, squirming out of her father's arms and launched herself into Erin's lap, snuggling in close.

"I'm just a little overwhelmed by happiness, princess. Now come on, let's get you to bed."

"Candy?"

"Not before bed, princess. Maybe you can have a few pieces for breakfast." Erin adjusted their daughter in her arms and stood carefully. "Papa, are you joining us?"

"Of course." He stood and wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging her close before leading her over to the stairs. "Which pajamas do you want to wear tonight?"

"Can I sleep in my costume?" Clarissa asked, smiling up into her eyes.

"I suppose that would be all right," she replied, stroking her daughter's black hair. She turned into her bedroom and David let go of her so that he could turn down to covers. Erin gently laid their precious daughter on the bed, reaching over so that she could hand her the stuffed frog that she never went to sleep without. "I love you, princess."

"I love you too, Momma, Papa. Kisses?"

Erin nodded, smiling warmly before bending down and pressing her lips to her daughter's. David followed suit and then tucked Clarissa in before steering Erin over to the door. "Good night, princess. We'll see you in the morning." He turned off the light as soon as Clarissa had closed her eyes and then Erin let him lead her over to their bedroom.

"You loved me that long? But what about our fights?" She couldn't comprehend the depth of commitment that he was admitting to, and she clung to him as she wept. David picked up her arm, running his hand down to her wrist so that he could stroke the ugly infinity scar that marred her skin.

"I fought with you because I didn't want to admit that what I felt was real. And then, when we did start a physical relationship, you seemed content not to let emotions really get in the way of making love. I wanted to honor those wishes." He took a deep breath, and she looked up into his eyes, seeing the tears that were pooling there. They somehow made it over to the bed and he wrapped her up in a tight hug. "And then Curtis almost stole you from me. He plied us all with that horrible concoction of his, making us question reality, even as he was intent on ending your life. And I realized that I couldn't live with you never knowing how much I love you."

"I love you, too." Erin leaned in and kissed him sweetly. A knock on their door had her breaking the kiss and they both looked over towards it. "Come in."

Tabitha stepped inside, grinning at them. "I just wanted to say goodnight, Momma. I'm heading out to Jessica's party, and it won't be over until after you're asleep. And just so you know, I still like you, Papa Dave. You've been the best thing to happen in Momma's life."

Her daughter came over and threw her arms around Erin's neck, hanging on to her tightly. It threw her off balance, and they fell back onto the bed. "Oh, my sweet Tabby-girl, how I love you," she whispered in her daughter's ear. "Be careful, and make sure you never set your drink down until it's finished."

"I know, you and Papa Dave taught me well. And I'm the DD tonight, too." Tabitha kissed her cheek before sitting up and tugging on Erin's arm until she was also sitting up. "I'll probably meet you at Mass, I don't know how late I'll be."

They both nodded and Tabitha kissed her once more before pecking at David's cheek and bouncing from the room. "She was wearing your old costume."

"I know. I wish I would have known about your feelings sooner. I wish I hadn't pushed you away. I love you." She burst into tears and wrapped her arms around him, letting him pull her back onto the bed. He leaned in and kissed her softly, running his fingers through her hair. Sighing, she rested her forehead against his and let her eyes close.

"I love you, too, Erin." She nodded and tried to fight off sleep, though she knew it was a losing battle. "Go to sleep now, my love. I know it can be a little daunting, running after a four year old at our ages."

Giggling a little, she snuggled in close to the protection and warmth that he offered. "She seems to have inherited a little of her auntie Penelope's busyness. Maybe when her little sister or brother comes along, she'll have calmed a bit."

David gasped a little, and she kicked herself for revealing that right before she wanted to fall asleep. "Bella, when?"

"At the end of March. I wasn't sure until I took the tests a few nights ago. I wanted to tell you tomorrow, since you were so sweet to let us go out while you stayed behind and handed out candy."

He nodded and kissed her sweetly. "Another baby for us to spoil. March cannot come soon enough." She nodded in agreement before kissing him once more, smiling when his hand crept down to cover her stomach gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she murmured before closing her eyes and listening to him hum under his breath, the soothing sound of his voice lulling her into the comforting arms of sleep and dreams.


End file.
